A New Zealand Green Party MP has questioned the government over the impact of the New Zealand police training programme in Indonesia's Papua region.
The questions came shortly after a rally was held outside parliament to mark December 1st, West Papuans' Flag Day, the anniversary of independence from the Netherlands.
Johnny Blades reports
"The Green MP Catherine Delahunty says New Zealand is not doing enough to pressure Indonesia to rein in its security forces in Papua, as human rights abuses there continue. The police minister Judith Collins said the government is looking at the merits of another community policing programme in the Papua region. 'A scoping design is currently being undertaken or about to be completed. On that basis I would have thought that any interaction of the New Zealand police who I believe are the finest police anywhere in the world would been of an advantage, and I would have thought that member would have supported it.' However Ms Delahunty says any collusion with Indonesia's security forces is unhelpful for Papuans. Her move to observe the Papuan independence claim in parliament was blocked. 'Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the Morning Star flag of West Papua.' Speaker Lockwood Smith: ' Leave is sought to table that flag, is there any objection? There is objection.'"